Brilliant Mistakes

Elvis Costello strips down to bare-boned balladry

In the fickle world of pop music, evolution is essential. That's been the operative rule for Elvis Costello, an artist whose stylistic flip-flops have veered from rebellion to respectability. While punk was engulfing England in the late Seventies, Costello (a.k.a. Declan McManus) made his debut as a bitter, barb-tongued nebbish whose taut, rapid-fire melodies straddled the line between edginess and accessibility. Following a string of brilliant albums with his band the Attractions, he shrugged off the antagonistic attitude and became a respected singer/songwriter with somewhat less verve.

Amelia Stein

Still Costello's prolific prowess has never been in doubt, as evidenced by his unlikely pairing with old-school pop composer Burt Bacharach in the late Nineties, when he reinvented himself as a romantic crooner. He exploits that persona to a once-unthinkable extreme on his latest album, North, a collection of mostly unadorned ballads that reunites him with ex-Attractions keyboardist Steve Nieve. E.C.'s current tour is an ideal opportunity to link his past personas with his current MO.

 
 

Find a Concert

Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places

    Voice Places

    Discover restaurants, nightlife, travel, shopping...

  • VOICE Daily Deals

    VOICE Daily Deals

    Get 50 to 90% off every day on restaurants, movies, massages...

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    More than 10,000 of the BEST things to eat, drink, and experience

  • My Voice Nation

    My Voice Nation

    Join the Village Voice community and get exclusive deals and info

  • Happy Hour

    Happy Hour

    Your local Happy Hour guide at your fingertips

or

Log in or Sign up

Social Connect:

Use your favorite account to access My Voice Nation.


Use your My Voice Nation account to log in:





Forgot password?
or

Sign Up or Log in

Social Connect:

Sign up for My Voice Nation with your preferred network.


Sign up for a My Voice Nation account:



Privacy policy